BOO! - Random acts of Kindness

This activity falls into the Serving Others category. We had a little mini lesson on doing acts of kindness and not getting recognition for them. The girls filled bags with treats and then secretly delivered them. It was alot of fun for the girls to do something without getting a 'Thank you' for it.

You've Been Booed - Color

You've Been Booed - Black and White

Conference Preperation

This activity was to help the girls prepare to get the most out of the upcoming General Conference. We played Hangman using the word General Conference to introduce what we would be discussing. Then we talked about The importance of general conference and we answered some basic questions in regards to conference. I introduced the acronym PINK to the girls and we talked about each letters meaning.  I pulled quotes from a talk given by Elder Hales titled General Conference: Strengthening Faith and Testimony to answer the questions and with the PINK acronym.The girls then made conference booklet for them to take notes in during conference.

Conference Note book

My Gospel Standards

 This activity taught the girls the "My Gospel Standards" on the back of their books. A basic requirement is for the girls to live them but they need to know them if they are going to live them! We started the activity with a prayer as usual then we read the Gospel Standards. The girls did not know them or even heard of them so this activity was great to get them familiar with the Gospel Standards.


After reading the Gospel Standards, I talked to the girls about how Satan tempts with those things that are around us such as music, television, internet, our friends, etc. I told them that Satan uses these things as 'bait' to hook us into committing a sin or doing something we shouldn't. We are all 'fish' in a big pond and Satan keeps casting his hook to see if we will take the 'bait'. If we can remember and follow the Gospel Standards and the commandments, then we will be able to withstand the temptations of Satan; no matter how good the bait looks. I had a tackle box filled with fishing equipment to show that there are many ways to disguise the hook and many different hooks. In the bottom of the tackle box I had a bunch of objects that represented bait Satan could use to tempt us. Each girl took turns choosing an object and sharing how it could be bait. The objects in our tackle box were as follows:

Doll Clothes: Dressing Immodestly
R-rated Movie: Watching inappropriate things
Headphones: Listening to music that had bad lyric or doesn't invite the spirit
Tennis Ball: Playing sports on Sunday, watching sports on TV to often, Poor sportsmanship.
Cell Phone: Spending to much time on our phones, Phones can be used to call our friends but we need to make sure they are good friends.
Tablet: Social Media use, what we look up on the internet.
Watch: How we spend our time, Idle hands are Satan's playground
Book: What we read including magazines
Cup: Eating unhealthy and not taking care of our bodies
Medicine Bottle: Drugs and others prescriptions
Hershey's Kiss and Hug: When they start dating if the kisses and hugs are inappropriate


 Once all the objects were out of the tackle box I told the girls that knowing how Satan can help them recognize a temptation easier. Knowing our faults and the Gospel Standards will help us in our daily lives. We played My Gospel Standards Memory game after, which help the girls memorize the Gospel Standards since they were read so many times. In the memory game there are 4 cards that  say "Satan has tempted you! What was the bait? What did you do to not take the bait?". If this card was chosen then they would answer the questions and choose 2 other cards to see if they could get a match.

Once Memory was done we read the matches one last to really get them in their heads. We finished the lesson with a fun treat of gummy worms and Swedish fish that had the saying, "I won't take the bait! I will remember My Gospel Standards!".

My Gospel Standrads Handout 

My Gospel Standards Memory 

I printed each page separate and glued them onto cards stock but you can print them on card stock. Make sure in your print settings that print on both sides is selected and to flip on the short side. 

Developing Talents and Preparing for Y.W. - The Family Proclamation

This activity completed 2 requirements - Developing Talents #7: List five things you can do to help around your home. Discuss the importance of obeying and honoring your parents and learning how to work. AND Preparing for Young Womens #5: Read “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.” Make a list of things you can do to help strengthen your family and make a happy home. Share the list with your parents or Primary leader.

Each girl was given a copy of The Family Proclamation and a highlighter. As they read The Proclamation they highlighted what stood out to them. Once done reading we made banners for them to hang in their rooms so they could remember what they learned. I couldn't get the picture of the banner to turn the right way so til your head. ;) The top section of the banner was what stood out to them from The family Proclamation and the lower half was what they could do to help strengthen their family to make it a happy home. 

I had a bunch of cute double sided paper cut into 3x6 rectangles so they could fold the top over the string and glue the flap down. this also made the top section and lower section different patterns.We had Skittles as a treat while they made their Banners. I likened Skittles to our families. We are all different in our own way like each color of skittle tastes different, but when you eat every color of skittle together, the flavor is better. Just like a family is better together.

Materials Needed:
5 - 3x6 sized double sided paper for each girl
Family Proclamation for each girl
Markers/Highlighters/Pens
Glue Sticks
String or ribbon
Skittles - optional


The Family Proclamation PDF 

Developing Talents - Modest Dress

This activity helped the girls learn about modest dress to fill Developing Talents: Learn about and practice good nutrition, good health, and good grooming, including modest dress. The activity was so fun for the girls. They really enjoyed creating modest clothing choices. The activity and printables are from the blog Wendy's Activities and the link is below.

Wendy's Activities - Modest Dress

Developing Talents - Tithing

This Activity filled the requirement for Developing Talents - Learn how to budget and save money. Discuss why it is important to faithfully pay our tithing and how Heavenly Father blesses us when we do (see 3 Nephi 24:10–11). Pay your tithing and begin saving for a mission.

Here is what we discussed:

What is Tithing?

 Tithing is giving 10% of what you earned to the Lord. You can give it to a member of the Bishopric on Sunday. At the end of the year you attend Tithing settlement to declare if you are a full tithe payer or not. To figure out 10%, simply move the decimal 1 to the left.

What is Tithing Used for?

• Constructing temples, chapels, and other buildings.
• Providing operating funds for the Church.
• Funding the missionary program (This does not include individual missionary expenses.)
• Preparing materials used in Church classes and organizations.
• Temple work, family history, and many other important Church functions.
• Education

Why is Tithing Important?

The obedient payment of tithing fortifies our faith, and that faith sustains us through the trials, tribulations, and sorrows in our life’s journey.

The law of tithing prepares us to live the higher law of consecration—to dedicate and give all our time, talents, and resources to the work of the Lord. Until the day when we are required to live this higher law, we are commanded to live the law of the tithe, which is to freely give one-tenth of our income annually.

 

How are we blessed from paying Tithing?

To those who faithfully and honestly live the law of tithing, the Lord promises an abundance of blessings. Some of these blessings are temporal, just as tithes are temporal. But like the outward physical ordinances of baptism and the sacrament, the commandment to pay tithing requires temporal sacrifice, which ultimately yields great spiritual blessings.

 

 How can you budget and save?

When you earn money, first pay your tithing. You can either save the rest either at home or at a bank/credit union if you have an account. You can keep a percentage for spending and the remaining can be saved also. 

Following our discussion we made tithing envelopes they can keep at home. When the girls earn money they can put the tithing in this envelope first thing and take it to church. This way they don't have to figure it out Sunday morning and their tithing is paid as soon as they get it. PDF of the tithing envelope is at the bottom as well. Just cut along the edges, fold in half and put glue on the white flaps to make a mini envelope.

 The envelopes are fast to cut and make so once they finished them we played a 'Life:Tithing Edition' game. The girls really enjoyed this game. I printed off a blank game board and wrote "Sunday" in every 7 spaces to represent weeks. The rest of the spaces in the week had things the girls could do to earn money, spend money, or they were blank. I used the games piece from Life and the spinner. Each girl had a scratch piece of paper/their budget to keep track of everything and each girl started with $10 each. On their turn, each girl would spin, move that many spaces. If they landed on a space that they earned money they would add it to their balance. If they landed on a space that they spent money, then they would subtract that amount from their balance. If the space was blank, they did nothing. When they passed OR landed on a Sunday they would pay tithing on anything they EARNED since the last Sunday and would subtract their Tithing from their balance. The finish was a Mission. The girls really enjoyed the game and they had a lot of practice figuring out 10% of what they earned. A pdf of our board game is at the bottom or a link to a blank one to make your own version.

 

Tithing Board Game

Blank Board Game Large 

Blank Board Game  Small

Tithing Envelope